I am 49 and am about the same height and weight as you OP (5'6" and my weight ranges from the upper 120's to the low 130's). I have exercised (running, aerobics, elliptical, walking and/or weights) almost daily since I was in my mid teens and ate and drank whatever I wanted for years and years without gaining weight. I took a nutrition class in college and had to track my calories for a week-with all of the crap food I ate and booze I drank I was consuming an average of well over 3,000 calories a day. Even though I stopped drinking anywhere near as much, as the years went on I continued to eat a lot (although not quite as much as when I was in my 20's).

I hit my early to mid 40's and realized that I couldn't continue on this path for a number of different reasons. Every now and then I end up going on a junk food binge but for the most part I eat healthfully and watch my intake way more than I did when I was younger. My weight is the same but I notice that if I don't really monitor my intake the scale starts to creep up. Not sure how many calories I'm eating at this point (I let the scale be the judge and adjust accordingly) but it sure isn't anywhere near 3,000 plus per day. It catches up to almost everyone. I'm sure I'll have to continue to adjust accordingly as my metabolism will probably continue to slow. I feel better now that I'm eating better but I've never stopped craving sweets and have a hard time stopping if I start so I don't keep them in the house.

I am an avid exerciser. But I have a poor diet. I am not thin. I was just talking to my husband that I really need to change my diet as I have the exercise part down, it’s just eating correctly. I have a very sweet tooth and I simply enjoy food. I have to treat certain food as a treat and not as an every day thing

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will you gain weight? Probably not but is that it when it comes to health? Of course not.

+1
Skinny fat is just as bad as fat fat, health wise.

Do you have study to back up your claim or just pure speculation?

There are several. I’m just sick of posting links that people then refute without having read the source. It’s being skinny fat, aka “thin on the outside, fat on the inside,” (TOFI). It’s just as bad as being obese (a percentage of whom, about 30%, are just healthy people who literally are just genetically fat) because it’s all visceral fat, the most active fat. It might even be worse than obesity (seriously, how are you “concerned people” going to “share your concerns” with the right people going forward? I’m worried about you guys.)

I’m seriously sick of providing thoughtful links to be ignored, so here’s a throwaway. https://drhyman.com/blog/2015/07/16/why-skinny-fat-can-be-worse-than-obesity/

I’d like to point out the reason that I don’t waste time posting links to the PP to whom I replied.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, your "outcome," whatever that means to you, depends hugely on your genes.

This. That is why everyone's outcome is different.

Getting your heart rate up 5 times a week through working out is probably the best thing you can do. Sure then eat better. But the bad outcomes -- high BP, High C, Diab. may very well be avoided by the working out.

Colon, liver, stomach cancers are all said to have increased rate in those with poor diets

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, your "outcome," whatever that means to you, depends hugely on your genes.

This. That is why everyone's outcome is different.

Getting your heart rate up 5 times a week through working out is probably the best thing you can do. Sure then eat better. But the bad outcomes -- high BP, High C, Diab. may very well be avoided by the working out.

Anonymous wrote:You may not gain weight, but a poor junky diet will likely shorten your lifespan

+1

Why not just eat right? have a junk treat once in a while, but EAT RIGHT if you want to maintain your good health.

Anonymous wrote:My impression: Weight loss is calories in and calories out (though lots of things affect both sides). It takes a lot more effort to burn calories, so if you want to lose weight, cut calories.

BUT if you are in caloric balance, you're going to do OK if you exercise a lot, even if you eat a lousy diet, up to a point. You still have to have some fruit or veggies, don't guzzle soda, etc., but you can eat burgers and donuts regularly.

Full disclosure: This is probably informed by my bias as a slim, active, middle-aged guy who eats reasonably well but could do better.

Data point: At the 2008 Olympics, Usain Bolt literally ate nothing but Chicken McNuggets and bottled water. He set three world records. (https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2020/04/21/usain-bolt-beijing-olympics-2008-chicken-nuggets/)

It was only for a few days because it was the only food that wouldn’t upset his stomach. He generally doesn’t eat like that. You don’t become an Olympic athlete eating just junk food.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, your "outcome," whatever that means to you, depends hugely on your genes.

I agree. Otherwise, I am thinking it would have caught up with me by now.

Health is about more than weight. Poor diet can raise risk of cancers and probably other aliments as you age

Anonymous wrote:My impression: Weight loss is calories in and calories out (though lots of things affect both sides). It takes a lot more effort to burn calories, so if you want to lose weight, cut calories.

BUT if you are in caloric balance, you're going to do OK if you exercise a lot, even if you eat a lousy diet, up to a point. You still have to have some fruit or veggies, don't guzzle soda, etc., but you can eat burgers and donuts regularly.

Full disclosure: This is probably informed by my bias as a slim, active, middle-aged guy who eats reasonably well but could do better.

Data point: At the 2008 Olympics, Usain Bolt literally ate nothing but Chicken McNuggets and bottled water. He set three world records. (https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2020/04/21/usain-bolt-beijing-olympics-2008-chicken-nuggets/)

Balance is the only thing I care about. I am not trying to lose or gain, but I do want to provision accordingly for the monkey wrenches that ageing brings.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, your "outcome," whatever that means to you, depends hugely on your genes.

I agree. Otherwise, I am thinking it would have caught up with me by now.

Anonymous wrote:Define junk food. If you're talking about lots of refined sugar / white flour, probably bad. If you're talking more fats and proteins, and you have good genes, you might be fine. IMO vegetables are important for digestive health, but don't really help you lose weight.

sugar/white flour but measured portions.

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised you have the energy if you're only eating junk food.

OP here, I am not only eating junk food. My meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) account for 743 calories and the remaining 1,057 calories are snacks. I generally eat the exact same things every day with only a few deviations. Lunch and dinner are fish and snacks are prepackaged.

Honestly, your "outcome," whatever that means to you, depends hugely on your genes.